MEET OUR TEAM

Mrs. McClure has a bachelors degree in elementary and special education from the University of Delaware along with a certificate in early childhood education. . She been a teacher for over 20 years, including teaching at CUMC Preschool for 8 years. She became Director in 2021. Her three children are alumni of the preschool and include a college senior, and two recent college grads. Outside of school, Mrs McClure enjoys volunteering at the county animal shelter and spending time with her friends and family

Mrs. Keeley has a bachelors degree in business with a concentration in marketing from the University of Mississippi. She also worked in a preschool as an assistant when her children were younger. She uses her skills to manage the business side of the school as well as handle marketing and community outreach. She has four mostly-grown children. Outside of school, Mrs. Keeley enjoys crafting and reading, as well as spending time with friends and family.

Mrs. Orellana has a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Ottawa University. She has been a teacher in various capacities for nearly 20 years, including 10 years as a Head Start teacher in Arizona. Most recently, she has been a substitute teacher with MCPS before deciding to join the CUMP community full time. She has a wonderful husband and three children (ages 16, 13 and 8) and a sassy dog named Roxie. Mrs. Orellana enjoys nature walk, reading, naps, and family time. She is looking forward to the opportunity to help the student in our school learn and grow through play.

Mrs. Rucker has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Certificate from York College of Pennsylvania. She also has a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland and taught for 13 years in the MCPS system before choosing to be a stay-at-home mom after her second son was born. She has 3 boys- one in middle school and two in elementary school. All 3 of her boys attended CUMC Preschool! She also has 2 Labrador retrievers- a yellow male named Bailey and a chocolate female named Kahlua. In her free time she enjoys reading, baking, spending time with family and friends, and watching her boys play sports.

Mrs. Hurtado was born in Lima, Peru, and has primarily resided and received her education in Montgomery County. She is happily married with three children. Following several years as a stay-at-home mom, she decided to continue her passion for nurturing children at CUMC Preschool. Mrs. Hurtado holds an Early Childhood Education certification and has worked in the classroom for 4 years. During her leisure time, she enjoys baking, playing volleyball, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Mrs. Ure was born and raised on a farm, and always had a love for wide-open spaces and hard work. Now, with four amazing kids, her life is filled with joy and a different kind of adventure. She and her family are die-hard baseball fans. They also love taking walks as a family with their dog, Hudson. Mrs. Ure spent a lot of time in the classroom as her mom was a public educator and went on to earn her Early Childhood Certification. Her daughter Charlee attended CUMC Preschool and now Mrs. Ure loves learning from the children and working with the exceptional staff at CUMC Preschool.

Mrs. Cunningham was born and raised in Montgomery County. After graduating from MCPS she earned her Early Childhood Certification and started her family soon after. She stayed home and raised 3 wonderful boys that all attended CUMC Preschool. They are now in 8th grade, 11th grade, and first year at Montgomery College. She was missing the early years of childhood and found herself back here as a substitute many years later. She enjoys crafting, Hallmark movies, cheering on her sons playing baseball, watching the Washington Commanders, and getting to the beach in any season!

Mrs. Barnett has been a member of Covenant United Methodist Church for over 24 years. She has also been the church’s Sunday nursery care provider since 2008 and assisted in the former Terrific Two’s Program since 2009. Mrs. Barnett has a 17 year old son who is an alumni of the Two’s Program and the Preschool. She also has a 30 year old step daughter. Mrs. Barnett enjoys spending her vacations in Ocean City, Maryland, loves reading, crocheting and cross stitching.

Mrs. Liu has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Michigan. She took a break from teaching to be at home with her kids. This is her fifth year as an assistant teacher at CUMP. She has four teenagers, one at UMD and three in high school. She enjoys being with her family, drinking a good cup of coffee, working out, and reading.

. Mrs. Ooka was born and raised in Japan and began her career working primarily in children’s publishing. After moving to the United States, she discovered a new passion for early childhood education through volunteering at a cooperative preschool. She is excited to continue that journey at CUMC Preschool. Mrs. Ooka is also a mom to a five-year-old daughter and shares her home with six rescue cats. Outside of school, she enjoys reading and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Bio Coming Soon!

Ms. Guardado began at CUMC Preschool as an intern with the Child Development Program at Gaithersburg High School, where she gained her Early Childhood Certification. This will be her second year as an assistant teacher at CUMC Preschool and she is looking forward to another great year. She enjoys reading, going out, and spending time with loved ones. She is excited to have her younger brother joining her as a student at CUMC Preschool this school year!

Mrs. Fuller holds a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Social Science Education from Brigham Young University. She is excited to begin working at the preschool this year after spending twelve years raising her family in Maryland. Mrs. Fuller and her husband, Ron, have four wonderful children-- two attending college, one in high school, and one in middle school. Outside of the classroom she enjoys sports, reading, watercolor painting and any time spent with family and friends.

Mrs.Escobar is a lifelong DMV resident and a proud mom of two boys. After several years as a stay- at-home mom, she decided to follow her passion for working with young children. She recently completed her 90-hour Early Childhood Education course through Montgomery College, meeting the Maryland Office of Child Care requirements. She has also enjoyed caring for dogs for many years. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, swimming, spending time outdoors, and making memories with her family.